RESOLUTION 1.9

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIES FOR 2002-2006

The Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area,

Aware that resources for the implementation of the Agreement (information, research expertise and funds) are unequally distributed throughout the Agreement area, and that an effective implementation of the Agreement will require strong international co-operation;

Aware that scientific research in the Agreement area is essential to identify the populations having the least favourable conservation status and to address the conservation priorities;

Considering that Parties, particularly developing countries and countries with economies in transition, require a clear prioritisation of conservation and research activities in order to apply their limited resources most effectively,

Further considering that bilateral and multilateral donors will be greatly assisted in their allocation of funds for international co-operation, by a clear prioritisation of needs,

Recalling that Article IX.3. calls for voluntary contributions in order to increase the funds available for monitoring, research and training and projects relating to conservation;

Recalling Resolution 1.7 establishing a Supplementary Conservation Fund;

Recalling that Article IX.4. encourages Parties to provide technical and financial support on a bilateral or multilateral basis to assist Range States which are developing countries or countries with economies in transition to implement the provisions of the Agreement;

1. Notes the particular importance for the Agreement of focusing on known scientific gaps (both thematic and geographic), and of identifying remaining gaps;

2. Adopts the international implementation priorities for 2002-2006, as in annex I, without prejudice to the pursuance of existing conservation actions;

3. Urges Parties and specialised international Organisations to develop international co-operation projects for the implementation of the Agreement, in line with the priorities listed in annex I, and to keep the Agreement Secretariat fully informed of progress;

4. Recommends that the creation or extension of databases, for example under items 3, 11 and 16 of Annex of the present document, be co-ordinated to maximize synergies with existing databases such as the Global Register of Migratory Species (GROMS) of CMS and information held by the UNEP – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).  

5. Further urges Parties, the Agreement Secretariat and specialised International Organisations to seek innovative mechanisms and partnerships in particular with fishermen and other relevant professionals, to enable implementation of the Conservation Plan and the priorities listed in annex I. This could include joint ventures, twinning arrangements, secondment and exchange programmes, corporate sector sponsorships and species adoption programmes;

6. Requests bilateral and multilateral donors to provide financial assistance to Range States for the implementation of the Agreement, by supporting implementation of its priorities using the financial mechanism of the Agreement;

7. Instructs the Agreement Secretariat to disseminate the international implementation priorities for 2002-2006, to co-ordinate closely with related Conventions and International Organizations, in particular CIESM and "ACCOBAMS' Partners", for their implementation, to seek appropriate donors, and, following the recommendations of the Sub-Regional Co-ordination Units and the Scientific Committee, to bring to each session of the Meeting of the Parties reports on progress with implementation and an updated list of priorities.

8. Calls on the Scientific Committee to further develop the actions needed to implement the priorities listed and described in Annex 1, fully bearing in mind all the Resolutions agreed on at this Meeting of the Parties.

Annex 1

International Implementation Priorities for 2002-2006

The following list of 18 priority actions was prepared to assist Contracting Parties to implement priorities for international cooperation during the period 2002-2006. This list was generated by extracting from, and modifying, a broader list of activities, developed during a CIESM Workshop which was held in Monte Carlo in September 2001. With the intent of optimising effort among concurrent international organisations, some of the actions proposed here are inspired by, and partly coincide with, similar conservation actions proposed in the most recent Cetacean Action Plan of the World Conservation Union (R.R. Reeves, B.D. Smith, E. Crespo, G. Notarbartolo di Sciara. In press. Dolphins, whales, and porpoises: status, threats, and conservation action plan for cetaceans. IUCN, Gland).

The order in which actions are listed in this document does not imply priority. Rather, actions are arranged following the order in which conservation measures are listed in the Conservation Plan (Annex 2 of the Agreement). For each action, references to the corresponding paragraphs of the Conservation Plan and to the budget item in Doc. MOP1/17 are presented to the left of the activity’s title. For each item the types of activity involved are listed, along with the projected timescale. An indicative budget is indicated as well, mostly for an initial two-year period, corresponding to the figures quoted in Doc.MOP1/17, and in some cases concerning the action’s first phase. Whenever possible, the budget for the completion of the action is also indicated. Detailed project proposals will be successively required, once their funding and implementation will be assured.  

International Implementation Priorities, 2002 – 2006

List of Actions

1. Development of criteria and provision of ad hoc support for the harmonisation of commercial whale watching regulations with science-based knowledge on the protection needs of the involved cetacean populations.

2. Investigation of competitive interactions between coastal dolphins and artisanal fisheries.

3. Creation of a cetacean bycatch database (first phase).

4. Development and implementation of pilot conservation and management actions in well-defined key areas containing critical habitat for populations belonging to priority species.

5. Workshop on methods for the evaluation of habitat degradation and its effect on cetacean populations.

6. Conservation plan for cetaceans in the Black Sea.

7. Conservation plan for short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the Mediterranean Sea.

8. Conservation plan for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mediterranean Sea.

9. Basin-wide Mediterranean sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) survey.

10. Identification of Mediterranean sites of conservation importance for fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in addition to the Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal (CLP) basin, and assessment of the functional relationships of such sites to the LCP basin with respect to the species’ habitat needs. 11. Development of photo-identification databases and programmes encompassing the entire ACCOBAMS Area.

12. Establishment and implementation of a long-term training programme on cetacean research, monitoring and conservation/management techniques and procedures.

13. Development of an educational tool for the organisation of research projects and basic technical studies.

14. Creation of sub-regional directories of national authorities, research and rescue centers, scientists, governmental and non-governmental organisations concerned with the Agreement’s objectives. 15. Support to the implementation of national stranding networks, and their co-ordination into a wider regional network.

16. Development of a network of specialised bibliographic collections and databases.

17. Establishment of a system of tissue banks.

18. Establishment of a Task Force for special mortality events.
    

Physical and biological habitat degradation represents one of the greatest concerns for the conservation of cetaceans in the Agreement area. However, very little is known in terms of the real mechanisms at work, and how habitat degradation does impact on populations. To address the problem, a workshop is proposed to determine and help develop a framework and methodology to assess the significance for cetaceans of changes in their habitats, and to facilitate the eventual development of a research plan for the evaluation and quantification of cetacean habitat degradation in specific case studies. A scooping meeting for the preparation of such workshop, having the Mediterranean Sea as its focus, was conducted in 2001 under the auspices of the IWC, with funds from Italy and the UK. The workshop would focus on the following three points: (a) review available information on cetaceans and their habitats in the Agreement area and, in particular, studies that allow the comparisons to be made between segments of populations that appear to be responding to different levels of environmental stress; also, review available information on studies of major perturbations of cetacean habitat; (b) review and develop the concept of cetacean critical habitat and the development of quantifiable indices that may be applied to it; and (c) review and develop modelling approaches as part of a framework and methodology to assess the significance of changes in these parameters, with a view to developing a strategy for monitoring critical habitat quality, identifying thresholds which may affect cetaceans, assessing proposals for activities that might affect cetacean habitat, and, thereby, helping the Agreement in its work to conserve cetacean populations.

Activities: Consultations, commissioning of papers, three-day workshop (25 partic.), workshop report

Duration: 1 year

Indicative budget: € 50,000
    

This project envisages the co-operation between ACCOBAMS and the Black Sea Commission to prepare a proposal to be submitted to the GEF, concerning a comprehensive conservation and management plan for Black Sea cetaceans. The plan should include efforts to fill the existing knowledge gaps concerning the distribution, abundance, population structure, and factors threatening the conservation of the three species involved, as well as management measures such as the establishment of specially protected areas, the development and implementation of regulations to increase sustainability of human activities in the subregion, and the organisation of training, education and awareness initiatives.

Activities: consultations, proposal writing and submission

Possible synergies 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 15

Duration: 1 year

Indicative budget: -
   

Short-beaked common dolphins in the Mediterranean have undergone a dramatic decline in abundance during the last few decades, and have almost completely disappeared from large portions of their former range. Recent line-transect surveys resulted in an estimate of about 15,000 common dolphins in the southwestern Alboràn Sea, but abundance was not estimated for the rest of the western Mediterranean due to the low number of sightings. Regions where common dolphins no longer occur include the northern Adriatic Sea, the Balearic Sea, and the Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal basin. Currently, the main threats facing common dolphins in the subregion possibly include accidental killing in fishing gear, reduced availability of prey due to overfishing and habitat degradation, and the effects of toxic contaminants. While epizootics and reproductive disorders appear to have affected striped dolphins primarily, common dolphins may also be at risk because of their similarly high contaminant burdens. As a first step towards the implementation of a conservation plan for the species, a comprehensive assessment of its status and problems in the subregion should be prepared, leading to the identification of critical habitats and to determine distribution and abundance throughout the study area. This project would entail a series of localised surveys, with a priority in the eastern Mediterranean, aimed at the identification of existing remaining concentrations. Standard methods should be used so that results can be compared over time and from one region to another. Biopsies should be collected for genetic and contaminant analyses. Samples should be archived in a central repository, and collaborative studies should be initiated to better understand population structure and identify regional differences in contaminant exposure. For the first phase of the project it is proposed that a steering committee be established with the task of completing the preparation of the project, including the elaboration of organisation, logistic, scientific, technical and financial aspects. It is envisaged that the complete proposal will be presented for approval to MOP2.

Activities: consultations, planning, proposal writing, fundraising

Possible synergies: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 15, 17

Duration: 3 years

Indicative budget: € 12,000
  

In the Mediterranean Sea, common bottlenose dolphins occur in scattered inshore communities of perhaps 50-150 individuals, and the gaps between them appear to be constantly increasing. Conservation threats are roughly similar to those facing short-beaked common dolphins and other small cetaceans of the region, except that common bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea may be particularly vulnerable to human activities due to their near-shore occurrence and the fragmented character of their population structure. Incidental kills in trammel and gillnets occur frequently in some areas, probably at unsustainable rates. Overfishing of demersal fish may have affected the prey base for common bottlenose dolphins in some areas. Direct kills resulting from competitive interactions between common bottlenose dolphins and artisanal coastal fisheries are also a source of increasing concern. A series of population assessments across the Mediterranean subregion should be organised, where common bottlenose dolphins are known to occur, combined with larger-scale but less intensive surveys to identify previously unknown «hotspots» of occurrence. A comprehensive map of common bottlenose dolphin presence along the Mediterranean continental shelf should be created, with the identification of concentration zones (where critical habitat is likely to occur) and gaps. Photo-identification data should also be collected during the surveys, to help the creation of a pan-Mediterranean catalogue. Surveys should be designed to obtain data suitable for subsequent assessment of the species distribution and relative sighting frequency over time (e.g., consistent surveys conducted at 3-year intervals). Existing information and data recorded by research groups (either published or unpublished) should be inventoried in a comprehensive database, and made available to the wider community. Collection and analysis of time series data indicative of population trends should be favoured. Finally, efforts should be directed to monitor incidental catches and direct kills, and to investigate the possible role of contaminants and of nutritional stress from reduced availability of suitable prey. For the first phase of the project it is proposed that a steering committee be established with the task of completing the preparation of the plan, including the elaboration of the organisation, logistic, scientific, technical and financial aspects. It is envisaged that the complete proposal will be presented for approval to MOP2.

Activities: consultations, planning, proposal writing, fundraising

Possible synergies: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 15, 17

Duration: 3 years

Indicative budget: € 12,000  
    

In the Mediterranean, sperm whales occur primarily in deep offshore waters of the Alboràn, Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal, Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Aegean and Levantine Seas. Differences in vocal repertoire, year-round observations of all age-classes and both sexes in the eastern Mediterranean, and the scarcity of sightings in the Strait of Gibraltar, provide circumstantial evidence of demographic isolation from sperm whales in the North Atlantic. Although no estimates of abundance are available, encounter rates for sperm whales have been unexpectedly low during recent years, in striking contrast with older accounts of localised abundance of this whale species in portions of the Mediterranean. A possible decrease of sperm whales in the region may have been caused by a number of factors: (a) a large number of sperm whales have been found drowned in the high seas driftnet fishery for swordfish, and (b) noise and disturbance from intense traffic, mineral prospecting, military operations, and dynamite fishing has been constantly increasing in the Mediterranean in recent decades. A comprehensive survey is urgently needed to assess abundance, distribution and presence of critical habitat of sperm whales in the Mediterranean. This project would be implemented most effectively using a combination of visual and acoustic techniques. It is suggested to divide the Mediterranean into a number of cells (possibly 10-15) that could each be covered by one vessel equipped with a towed hydrophone array within a four-week period, and then to conduct simultaneous surveys of these cells from platforms of opportunity (e.g., sailing vessels), in July, when the seas are calmest. While the surveys will be specifically targeted to determine sperm whale abundance, distribution, habitat use, and critical habitat, they will create a unique opportunity for obtaining other useful results, such as the gathering of knowledge on presence, distribution and sighting frequencies of other cetacean species in Mediterranean pelagic and slope areas where observations have never been carried out; the project would also entail the involvement of a conspicuous number of trainees in a major, region-wide research effort. In an initial phase is proposed that a steering committee be established with the task of completing the preparation of the project, including the elaboration of the needed organisational, logistic, scientific, technical and financial aspects. It is envisaged that the complete proposal will be presented for approval to MOP2, and that the surveys be possibly conducted in July 2005.

Activities: consultations, planning, proposal writing, fundraising

Possible synergies: 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12

Duration: 2 years

Indicative budget: € 8,000
   

Fin whales, represented in the Mediterranean by a genetically distinct population thought to reside year-round in the subregion, are found in greatest concentrations in the Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal (CLP) basin; here an international cetacean sanctuary was recently established by France, Italy and Monaco, and a SPAMI declared by the Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention. In the LCP basin fin whales gather during summer to feed, and a portion of the population is known to remain there throughout winter. However, fin whales are wide-ranging migratory mammals, and it is not known where they move to when they depart from the LCP basin. Data on fin whale distribution and habitat use in the Mediterranean, outside of the LCP basin and throughout the year, are incomplete; lack of knowledge on the location(s) of habitat critical for the species’ breeding and nursing is particularly disturbing. Aim of this project is to help elucidate details of habitat use and movement patterns of fin whales in the Mediterranean outside of the LCP basin, to help enhancing the species’ conservation status. Data on fin whale presence and relative abundance during summer throughout the subregion will be gathered through visual sightings as a by-product of Action 9 (basin-wide sperm whale survey). In addition, long-term tracking with satellite tags should be performed on an adequate sample of individuals, to detect seasonal movement patterns and identify possible autumn and winter destination areas. Although no budget was proposed on this account for the 2002-2004 period, this action was included in the list in consideration of the uncertain conservation status of this whale species, and to highlight the potential for synergies between ACCOBAMS and other concerned organisations in the common effort to conserve Mediterranean fin whales.  

Activities: consultations, field study involving satellite tagging

Possible synergies: 9

Duration: 4 years
  

Studying free-ranging cetacean populations using photo-identification techniques has become a common, powerful research practice during the past decade in many areas of the world, including portions of the Agreement area. Such studies have proven, among other things, to hold considerable conservation value. Recently, a three-year programme, «Europhlukes», was funded by the European Commission with the goals of developing an European cetacean photo-id system as a support tool for marine research and conservation, to initiate a European network which will link providers with end-users of the European cetacean photo-id system, and to ensure future growth and maintenance of the system and its databases. Although a budget for this action could not be secured for the 2002-2004 period, it is highly recommended that an operational link be established between ACCOBAMS and the «Europhlukes» project management, to explore possibilities for future co-operative effort, for the extension of the programme to non-European partners within the Agreement Range States, and to help ensuring the indefinite continuation of this worthy initiative after the European project is terminated.

Activities: consultations, meetings

Possible synergies: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13

Duration: ongoing
  

Cetacean research and monitoring techniques have made considerable progress in recent decades, and provide significant support to the conservation and management effort. While such techniques are currently consistently applied, and even developed, in portions of the Agreement area, they are largely ignored elsewhere. Diffusing research and monitoring abilities throughout the region thus seems like a timely challenge and one of the highest priorities as far as cetacean conservation is concerned. The problem to be addressed is twofold: (a) transmitting knowledge through appropriate, effective and long-lasting training procedures, and (b) ensuring that such hard-gained knowledge is put to good, long-term use once the trainees endeavour to apply it at home. Accordingly, this activity will firstly consist in the organisation of field-based training courses in areas providing ideal research facilities and opportunities, to teach standard research techniques and provide selected participants with a hands-on experience. Secondly, follow-up support to the selected trainees in their countries, to assist with the development and implementation of research and conservation projects, will have to be provided through a co-operative effort between the Agreement Secretariat, or the appropriate Co-ordinating Unit, and the concerned Contracting Party.

Activities: contracts to teaching and training organisations, travel, participation in national and international research programmes

Possible synergies: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9

Duration: ongoing

Indicative budget: 2002-2004: € 60,000  
   

Several countries have indicated their need for guidance and training in research and monitoring techniques and procedures. The budget covers the production and distribution of a «pedagogic kit» based on a prototype, the basic elements of which have been identified by the Interim Secretariat. Items contained in the kit should include a basic scientific background on cetaceans, a description and identification guide of the species living in the Agreement area, protocols for the approach and observation of cetaceans at sea, sampling protocols and basic instructions for intervention in the case of strandings, a selection of legal documentation, a list of MPAs, training and education opportunities, and a list of useful addresses.

Activities: kit preparation and distribution

Possible synergies: 12, 14

Duration: 2 years

Indicative budget: € 42,000  
  

Since a Mediterranean directory was already prepared through a co-operation between the RAC/SPA, the Tethys Research Institute and the Interim Secretariat, only the costs of updating the existing directory, extending it to the Black Sea and contiguous Atlantic area publishing it are covered here.

Cetacean strandings create an important opportunity for the gathering of much needed knowledge on natural and human-induced mortality of cetacean populations, and provide an available source for precious additional information, among other things, on the biology, pathology, toxicology and population genetics of the concerned species. Stranding networks exist in the Agreement area, each of them having various degrees of the extent of their spatial and temporal coverage, efficiency, and institutional involvement. Goals of this action are to: (a) improve the efficiency, when needed, of national stranding networks, (b) help extending the appropriate know-how to countries where strandings are currently not monitored, and (c) create the basis for the establishment of a wider network at the regional level. As a first step, a coordination mechanism should be established, consisting of a centralised cetacean stranding database managed for the Agreement Secretariat, to promote the exchange of information on cetacean strandings among the Agreement Range States. A number of additional steps are proposed: (a) the promotion of an ACCOBAMS-RAC/SPA agreement, to take the best advantage of the Mediterranean Database of Cetacean Strandings (MEDACES; (b) its widening, through the Agreement secretariat, to include the Black sea data; (c) the organisation of specialised training; (d) the establishment of an appropriate interface with a regional system of tissue banks; (d) the creation of a website; and (f) the publication and diffusion of a comprehensive stranding protocol and of an ethical code.

Activities: database, website, consultations, training, desk study

Possible synergies: 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18

Duration: ongoing

Indicative budget: 

2002-2004: € 12,000 
2004-2006: € 28,000  
  

One of the greatest hindrances to the region-wide development of a cetacean science tradition - a fundamental prerequisite to conservation and, ultimately, to the fulfilment of the purposes of the Agreement - is the diffused current unavailability of up-to-date specialised literature in most Range States’ scientific and academic environment. This action proposes the establishment of a working group, which should include specialised librarian expertise, to examine the current availability of pertinent bibliographic material across the Agreement area, to strengthen existing facilities, and to identify locations where additional specialised libraries should be established. Support should be provided to existing libraries containing significant cetological bibliographic collections, to ensure continued updating and expansion, to facilitate access to information to the local scientific community, and to provide a framework for capacity building that will encourage documented cetacean research in the Agreement area. Modern document transfer and exchange technology should be adopted and promoted, and library databases should be managed within the context of a network that facilitates cross-library research and exchange of materials.  

Activities: consultations, desk study, bibliographic database, website

Possible synergies: 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17

Duration: ongoing

Indicative budget: 2002-2004: € 114,000
  

Central repositories of cetacean tissues, mostly deriving from strandings, bycaught animals and biopsies (also known as «tissue banks») have the potential of greatly enhancing the current capabilities of the scientific community of understanding pathological and toxicological mechanisms leading to the development of critical conservation events at the regional level. At the present moment, two tissue banks are being established in the Mediterranean subregion, one in Spain (University of Barcelona), with a focus on pollutants, and one in Italy (University of Padova), with a focus on pathology. Goal of this action is to assist in the co-ordination between existing initiatives, and promote the enlargement of the geographical scope of the bank system to the entire Agreement area, Black Sea included.

Activities: consultations

Possible synergies: 3, 5, 6,7, 8, 14, 15

Duration: ongoing

Indicative budget: € 4,000
   

In recent years the Agreement area has been the scene of major cetacean mortality events, involving mass strandings over wide geographical areas, which have evoked great concern and have attracted considerable attention from the scientific community. To face possible new mortality outbreaks, as well as major accidental events affecting cetacean populations or their critical habitats, the establishment of a Task Force for marine mammal mortality and special events, formed by international experts, is highly recommended. When necessary, and if requested by the Secretariat, the Task Force will convene and arrange for a small team of experts to assess the situation on the ground and advise national groups. The development of intervention protocols and of code of conducts to be followed in case of emergency situations should also be included within the tasks of such group.

Activities: consultations, task force, meetings, desk study, travel

Possible synergies: 12, 13, 14, 15

Duration: ongoing

Indicative budget: € 12,000